Ayotte finds Hagel nod perplexing

1/13/13 9:49 AM EST

Sen. Kelly Ayotte (R-N.H.) said on Sunday that President Barack Obama's nomination of formerSen. ChuckHagel (R-Neb.) for secretary of defense "perplexes" her.

"I'm very troubled," the Senate Armed Services committee member said on Fox's “Fox News Sunday." "I think that the hearings on this nomination are going to be consequential. I have not made up my mind, but here's where we are. You put up his prior positions. It makes we wonder - it perplexes me why the president nominated Sen. Hagel."

Ayotte cited Iran's view of Hagel as part of the basis for her concern.

"Iran this week kind of reacted favorably, somewhat," Ayotte said. "There were some statements that were favorable to his nomination. In fact, they said they were hopeful that with his nomination, they hoped that we would change our policies. What I want to make sure is that Iran is actually not hopeful, but they're fearful as a result of our nominee from the secretary of defense perspective because I think that will cause them to stop marching toward acquiring a nuclear weapon."

"Is it fair to say you're leaning against his nomination at this point?" Chris Wallace asked.

"I think it's fair to say that if you look at his prior positions, that he has a lot of questions to answer about this," Ayotte said.